The Game Awards 2020 News Rundown

Warning: The following article contains video content that may not be suitable for all audiences.

Every year, Geoff Keighley hosts The Game Awards. Usually, this comes with a slew of announcements, questionable appearances, and one baby Zebra. No, I’m kidding, the menagerie doesn’t contain Zebras, just the occasional questionable music number. In 2017, The Game Awards even revealed my current white whale and ongoing Phenixx Gaming meme: Bayonetta 3. Let’s see what this year’s Game Awards has in store for us, shall we?

Now, before we get started, the Pre-Show explained that this entire production is (mostly) remote. There are a few people in a studio where the “awards” are being held, but by and large, the announcements and recipients of awards will be entirely from a distance. This is no surprise due to the pandemic and all, but it is important to note nonetheless.

This year, the Pre-Show (hosted by Sydnee Goodman) had a few announcements and awards. This started with “Best Score and Music” which was taken home by Final Fantasy VII Remake. Considering I have the entire Final Fantasy VII soundtrack on my Spotify, this doesn’t surprise me. The music is iconic and the remixed versions from the remake are no different.

After the first award, we got a world premiere trailer by Devolver Digital. As usual, all the weird Devolver bells and whistles were included. Devolver showcased a medley of games in this premiere, including Shadow Warrior 3, Olija, Card Shark, Weird West, Boomerang X, and Loop Hero. The Loop Hero announcement was brand new for the show, while others have already been previously announced.

Loop Hero seems to be a retro-styled, world-building game with card-based mechanics. Something similar to a Guild of Dungeoneering type game mixed with Civilization, but with a single-player Roguelike twist. Next up came a world premiere trailer for a Caledonian-developed game called Tchia. Tchia looks to be inspired by a lot of different games but showcases the story of a girl on an island. There is a lot more to it, but the trailer could tell you way more than I can. I’m hyped for this one!

We then went on to find out the winner of the “Best Action/Adventure Game” Award, which historically has gone on to win Game of the Year. The Last of Us Part II took home the award, though I am skeptical as to whether they can take home the GOTY award. Let’s see how things go from here. After that award came a trailer for the Director’s Cut of Sea of Solitude, a fully reworked version coming to Nintendo Switch in 2021.

There is no word yet on whether Sea of Solitude: Director’s Cut will make it on to other platforms in the future, though the trailer does say “only on Nintendo Switch”. So for now it could be a timed-exclusive or a full-on exclusive. Either way, the Director’s Cut has a new script, voice acting, photo mode, gyroscope support, and more along with a March 4^th release date.

Next came a trailer from Focus Home Interactive for Shady Part of Me. It looks to be a puzzle platformer all about light and shadow. Where have I heard of a game like this before? Oh, it looks pretty similar to Contrast. Though I will say its visual style is striking and Hannah Murray’s voice acting is a nice addition.

After that, we go back to the awards with the award for “Best Family Game”. This award went to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which is really no surprise to anyone with eyeballs. The “Best Community Support” award went to Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout, which is deserving of a few awards this year in my opinion. Lastly, (for this batch anyway) the “Best Debut Game” award went to Phasmophobia. Personally, I think Raji: An Ancient Epic was more deserving, but who am I to judge?

After the rapid-fire award section, an announcement was made regarding a new VR version of Myst. It is available on the Oculus Quest and is a fully reconstructed version of the original game. Myst in VR is now available, so you can purchase it whenever you like.

The first musical performance of the night came from the Pre-Show, with a performance of “Last Surprise” from Persona 5 Strikers. It was a nice performance by Lyn and the Persona Band, though I am curious to see how the song sounds in-game.

The remake of NieR Replicant was next up on the trailer train. The game is absolutely gorgeous and showcases all the stylish action the franchise is known for. NieR Replicant ver. 1.22474487139… (yes, that is the actual title) will be releasing on April 23^rd, 2021. Pre-orders are now available for folks who want to purchase it on PS4, Xbox One, and Steam. No word is currently available on Next-gen releases.

Apparently, The Game Awards Pre-Show is about showing off new musical talent too. A new band called OFK performed their debut single “Follow/Unfollow” after the NieR announcement. The band is all CGI? Or perhaps it was just for the announcement of We Are OFK, an interactive series coming in Spring 2021.

Next, we have a rapid-fire list of E-Sports awards. “Best E-Sports Game” went to League of Legends, surprising no one. “Best E-Sports Coach” went to Zonic, who seems like Sonic’s brother from a universe full of influencers. “Best E-Sports Event” went to the League of Legends World Championship 2020, also surprising no one.

“Best E-Sports Host” went to Sjokz, which somehow sounds exactly like “shocks”? The English language is weird. Finally, “Best E-Sports Team” went to G2 Esports, which I know nothing about. Stephen A. Smith then took the time to announce “Best E-Sports Athlete” which went to Showmaker. He also took the time to make a comment on the legitimacy of E-Sports as actual sports. It was a nice touch.

The last bit of housekeeping from the Pre-Show was a world premiere trailer for Century: Age of Ashes. Century: Age of Ashes seems to be a game about dragon riders fighting one another. It looks cinematic and gorgeous, but only time will tell if it will be worth playing. It will be releasing sometime in February of 2021.

With that, the Pre-Show ended and the actual Game Awards began. Starting out strong, the first announcement was for the latest Super Smash Bros Ultimate DLC character. Sephiroth has joined the fray! Wielding his iconic Masamune, Sephiroth joins Cloud in Smash as the latest DLC character. Sephiroth will be joining the Smash roster sometime this month.

Brie Larson presented the first award of the show for “Best Performance”. The award went to Laura Bailey, who played Abby in The Last of Us Part II. Afterward, we got a world premiere for a game by The Initiative called Perfect Dark. The latest entry in the classic franchise seems to be in the realm of “eco-sci-fi” and will be coming to next-gen consoles.

Next up was a trailer for Back 4 Blood, a multiplayer zombie-killing game from Turtle Rock Studios. The Zombie Co-Op shooter continues the Left 4 Dead legacy (by some of the same devs) and boasts lots of zombie types, guns, and more. Back 4 Blood will release on June 22^nd, 2021. A closed alpha is available for registration now, with access coming on the 17^th of December.

Next was an announcement of a Game Awards Sale coming on all major gaming storefronts, from Epic, Steam, PSN, Xbox, Nintendo eShop, etc. Steam is also hosting a Game Awards festival to let folks play demos from upcoming games. Midwinter Entertainment gave an update on Scavengers, previously announced during a Game Awards broadcast.

As of the Game Awards broadcast, Scavengers is now in Closed Beta. You can apply on their website and 50,000 new players will be able to join the players already helping to test the game. Focus Home Interactive provided a trailer for a new multiplayer medieval heist game called Hood: Outlaws & Legends, which will be available on May 7^th. Hood: Outlaws & Legends will release on PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.

Nintendo brought an Indie World trailer to the awards, showing off popular indie games on Switch. After that, Forza Horizon 4 showed up with a new trailer showing off a Cyberpunk 2077 themed collaboration coming today. The next award came for “Best Ongoing Game” which was taken home by none other than No Man’s Sky, which I don’t think anyone expected.

A world premiere trailer for The Callisto Protocol came up next, showing off a game that seems very unique. An inmate awakens in his cell to discover that something has gone wrong. Creatures prowl the halls of the prison, robotic wardens are malfunctioning, and his cellmate has mutated into a horrific creature.

You seem to be someone sent to investigate the prison. We have a long way to go until the game releases in 2022 though. The developer did announce however that it will be a third-person story-driven survival horror game set in 2320. Next, we got another trailer for Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, this time showcasing gameplay.

The “Best Art Direction” award was handed out next, taken home by Ghost of Tsushima. I may not agree with that choice, but congratulations to the development team all the same. “Best Action Game” was up next, being given out to Hades, which I think was very well deserved. For “Best VR/AR” the award went to Half-Life: Alyx, which was the only VR game I really heard about this year.

“Best Sports/Racing Game” was up next and was received by Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2. I know Keiran will be very happy about that one. “Most Anticipated Game” was given out to Elden Ring, which I find very strange since we know absolutely nothing about it. Annapurna Interactive brought out a new trailer showing off a game called Open Roads, starring Keri Russell and Kaitlyn Dever.

Next up came the first segment of this year’s Game Awards discussing their “Global Gaming Citizen” initiative, showcasing people making positive influences in the industry. The Valorant team also announced that they would be honoring a rising Valorant streamer during the Game Awards. There was also a video clip honoring the streaming community around Valorant.

A Doom Eternal trailer showcasing Doom Eternal’s “The Ancient Gods: Part One” DLC came next. The DLC is available now, seemingly across all platforms. After that came a trailer for Disco Elysium: The Final Cut, which seems to have even more content for fans of the original game. Disco Elysium: The Final Cut will be coming as a free upgrade to all existing players in March 2021, with even more quests and content.

Finally, Dragon Age fans are getting more info on the newest upcoming entry in the franchise. The next reveal showcased a voiceover by Varric, suggesting that in the next game we’ll be playing an all-new character. The trailer just showed “Dragon Age” as the name, though I’m not sure if that means there won’t be a subtitle in the next one, or if they just aren’t revealing it yet.

Next up came an announcement for a new tactical squad-based Roguelite set in the same universe as the games in the Endless franchise. Endless Dungeon will be coming to all major platforms at a later unspecified date.

We then saw an announcement and footage for Crimson Desert, which offers “Single-player Story-driven content in an MMO setting.” I think this means that it is a story-driven game taking place in the world of Black Desert Online. At least, it seems that way since they are developed by the same developer (Pearl Abyss). It looks interesting, the gameplay looks stylish, but the trailer was strange. Crimson Desert will be coming next winter.

John David Washington (from the movie Tenet) came on to present the next award. The “Best Narrative” award was given to The Last of Us Part II. After that award, the Swedish Chef (of Muppet fame) appeared in a very cute sequence announcing his likeness being added to Overcooked: All You Can Eat! He is available right now as a free download on PS5 and Xbox Series X.

Next up, Dr. Lupo provided a presentation for The Game Awards: Future Class, a collection of people embodying the inclusive future of video games. There were also a few built-in ads as well. After the ad break, we got a surprise Epic Games Store release of Warframe, along with a Warframe x Unreal Tournament collaboration.

On December 16^th, the first season of Black Ops: Cold War’s Warzone multiplayer will be releasing. With it will come new operators, maps, and more. The Game Awards also celebrated the 35^th Anniversary of Super Mario Bros with an orchestral performance via the London Philharmonic.

The next world premiere came in the form of Scavengers Studio’s Season. It is a game about documenting lost cultures, coming exclusively to PS5. Gal Gadot graced our screens with the next award for “Games for Impact”. It was awarded to Tell Me Why, which is one I have not played yet. I did play If Found and Spiritfarer though, so I can’t say who was more deserving.

An unexpected world premiere came in the form of the announcement for the sequel to Ark: Survival Evolved. Ark II will be starring Vin Diesel. Additionally, they announced an animated series called Ark: The Animated Series that is coming in 2022.

Fall Guys announced their third season, with a winter wonderland theme. It will have new levels, obstacles, costumes, and emotes for players starting on December 15^th. It looks pretty cute y’all! The next content update for Elite Dangerous was shown off next. Elite Dangerous: Odyssey finally lets you explore planets on foot! You’ll be exploring this new expansion content early in 2021.

During the next ad break and myriad of commercials, there was a trailer for a really cool looking action platformer called FIST: Forged in Shadow Torch. Back to the awards at hand, Tom Holland and Nolan North collaborated to announce the recipient of the “Best Multiplayer Game” award. Among Us took home the award, which I find odd considering it was the only game nominated that did not actually come out this year.

Another world premiere trailer arrived, showcasing Evil Dead: The Game. It seems like a multiplayer co-op game coming to all major platforms in 2021. Ghosts ‘N’ Goblins is getting a remake on Nintendo Switch as well. Ghosts ‘N’ Goblins Resurrection is coming on February 25^th, 2021. Capcom also announced Capcom Arcade Stadium, a free download for Switch coming in February of 2021 as well.

Back to more awards, the “Best Indie Game” award went to Hades. “Best Audio Design” was given to The Last of Us Part II. Then “Best Roleplaying Game” was awarded to Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII Remake. The “Best Sim/Strategy Game” award was won by none other than Microsoft Flight Simulator, which is one I haven’t gotten to play yet.

The fan-category “Player’s Voice” award was given to Ghost of Tsushima, with “Best Fighting Game” rounding out this round of awards. “Best Fighting Game” was awarded by the stars of Netflix’s Cobra Kai and was given to Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate. I’m sure our YouTube wizard David will be happy about that one.

Speaking of Microsoft Flight Simulator though, the next announcement revealed that in 2021, it will be coming to Xbox Series X/S and Game Pass. Specifically, it will release this summer. The next announcement was for a PlayStation 5 exclusive known as Returnal. Coming March 19^th, 2021, it is an Action game centering on a woman stuck in some sort of loop on a foreign planet.

After another ad break, we get a first-hand look at a game called It Takes Two. It is from the developers of A Way Out and will be another co-op game designed for two players. It Takes Two will release on March 26^th and puts you in the role of a human couple turned into dolls. They will have to work together to fix their relationship if they want to get home and get their human forms back.

Reggie Fils-Aime, former Nintendo of America President, stopped by to present a Game Awards first-time award. The award for “Innovation for Accessibility” went to The Last of Us Part II, which from what I understand was very well deserved. Here’s to more recipients of this award in the future.

The Elder Scrolls Online’s next expansion took center stage with the next announcement. Next year, ESO will be taking people to Oblivion in the Gates of Oblivion expansion. We didn’t get much beyond a trailer and a 2021 release date though.

The next Oddworld Game got another trailer as well! Oddworld: Soulstorm is coming this spring! Next came the “Best Mobile Game” award, which went to Among Us. This doesn’t surprise me too much considering how popular the game is. Plus, as far as I’m aware, there are no microtransactions. Take note mobile devs.

A new Monster Hunter Rise trailer dropped, showcasing more of the story behind the upcoming Monster Hunter adventure. Monster Hunter Rise will be releasing on March 26^th, 2021. Troy Baker appeared to introduce a musical performance by Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder of “Future Days”.

Following the performance was a new world premiere trailer. Flying Wild Hog Games and Focus Home Interactive have created Evil West, a supernatural western Action game coming in 2021 for all major consoles. Scarlet Nexus was the next to get the trailer treatment. It is releasing on Xbox One and Series X/S this summer.

Past another ad break, the devs of Among Us (Innersloth) showed off the new map they will be bringing to the game. The Airship from Henry Stickmin is coming to Among Us in Early 2021! There are new mechanics, tasks, ladders and shortcuts, plus lots of other new additions.

“Content Creator of the Year” was the next award to be given out. It went to Valkyrae, whom I have been watching play Among Us recently. Congrats Valkyrae! Not to sidetrack too much here, but it is nice to see a female gamer get Content Creator of the Year after so much has happened in the industry in terms of harassment, etc. It isn’t enough to combat all the crap I’m sure she’s had to go through, but it is a start.

New Fortnite info was dropped about the new Season. Master Chief is coming to Fortnite! It seems some of the internet rumor-mill predictions were true. In fact, Master Chief is available now in Fortnite, assuming you get the battle pass and take the time to unlock him. A classic Halo map is also coming to Fortnite’s creative mode.

Also, as if The Walking Dead wasn’t a part of enough already, Daryl and Michonne were announced to be coming to Fortnite as well on December 16^th. The Rocket League devs also took some time to talk about their new season as well with a new trailer.

Ruined King: A League of Legends Story, was next on the trailer menu. This single-player adventure will be coming in 2021 and looks pretty cool. As far as Turn-Based RPG’s go, I’m interested. Keanu Reeves showed up to present the “Best Game Direction” award to The Last of Us Part II. Prior to another ad break, we saw footage of GTA Online’s next update called “The Cayo Perico Heist”.

After the break was a world premiere trailer for a currently unnamed Mass Effect game. All we know from the trailer is an Asari landing on a snowy planet and finding an N7 emblem. I am very excited to know more, but the reality is we’ll likely see the release of the next Dragon Age beforehand.

Finally, the “Game of the Year” award was presented by Christopher Nolan, to The Last of Us Part II. You’ll have to wait till closer to the end of the year to see what Phenixx Gaming’s staff considers their Game of the Year games to be. Stay tuned for that though, we’ll have more info for you soon.

That was all for this year’s Game Awards. I know everyone has their opinions on who should have won what, but none of that minimizes the great experiences gaming has given us this year. 2020 has sucked for a lot of us but gaming helps. Let’s hope for more great experiences in 2021.